Click to see: "How an etching is made" Print

The process of etching mystified me (even as a lifelong painter) until I joined a press. In these 6 photos I'd like to show you steps of this printmaking process - which has changed very little since the time of Rembrandt. Hope you enjoy! Photo 1 & 2 - Inking the metal plate. (Beforehand: a copper or zinc plate is coated with a "ground" and then an image is drawn into the ground. The plate is then "bit" in acid, which incises the drawing into the metal plate.) Photo 3 - Inked plates are laid on the press bed, then paper laid over them. Photo 4 - As I turn the large wheel of the press, the press bed rolls under the heavy metal cylinder of the press. The inked plates and paper are still lying on the press bed, but you can't see them because they have been covered with blankets (which softens the contact when the cylinder rolls over them). Photo 5 - After being run through the press (rolling under the cylinder), the paper is carefully pulled off of the plate revealing the finished art. Notice how the weight of the cylinder has beautifully embossed the edges of the metal plate onto the paper. Photo 6 - Freshly made prints are laid out to dry. Thank you for reading this!

Printmaking:Etching on Paper

Original:One-of-a-kind Artwork

Size:5 W x 5 H x 0.1 D in

Delivery Time:Typically 5-7 business days for domestic shipments, 10-14 business days for international shipments.